Electric signaling system



Jan. 16, 1923.

' 1,442,288. w. c.- NEAHR. ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM.

FILED DEC. 17. 1918- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 20 .l NVENToR.

lV/l/ C. Nea/m Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,442,288 PATENT OFFICE.

WILL C. NEAHR, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Application filed December 17, 1918. Serial No. 267,172.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILL C. NEAHR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the countyof Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signaling Systems, of which the following is a speci lication.

This invention relates to electric signal-- ing instruments of the type'commonly used at railroad crossings to indicate the approach of trains by the oscillating movement of target or semaphore.

My invention relates more particularly to a system of the character shown and described in my application for Patent No. 218,515, filed February 21, 1918, and its primary object is to provide a combination of electrical devices and connections which with fewer parts and simpler circuits performs every function of the prior system at a considerably reduced expenditure of mechanical and electrical energy.

WVith this and other objects in view, all of which will fully appear in the course of the following description, my invention consists of the constructions and combinations of parts shown in the accompanying drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated, and in which Figure 1 represents a sectional front elevation of the signaling instrument with its operating mechanism in a condition of rest,

Figure 2, an enlarged view of the automatic switch connected with the oscillating semaphore of the instrument,

Figure 3, a section taken on the line 3--3, Figure 2,

Figure 4, a diagrammatic view of the circuits and electrical devices comprised in the improved system, and

Figures to 8, views of the moving member of the electric switch shown in Figure 2, showing the diiferent positions it occupies in each cycle of operations of the instrument.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, the signaling instrument in its preferred form comprises a water and dust-- proof housing which in practice is placed. upon a bracket 2 projecting from a pole or other elevated support.

The housing consists of a base 3 and a cover 4 which is hinged as at 5 and secured by a hasp. 6 or other suitable fastening means? 1 The operating mechanisms which in its entirety is enclosed by the housing, consists of a bearing 7 which is mounted upon the base and adapted for the support of a rocker-shait 8 from which the target 9 is sus pended.

The rocker-shaft carries at one of its ends a segment-gear 10 which meshes with a pinion 12 on the rotating element of an electric motor 13 mounted upon a pedestal 14 which. straddles the bearing.

The target of the instrument consists of a circular disk usually painted in conspicuous colors and bearing a cautionary legend, as for example, the word-- top. A lens-tube projecting at opposite sides of the target in the line of its axis, houses an incandescent lamp 15 which serves to illuminate the target at night.

The target is suspended from the rockershaft by a hollow rod 16 through which extend the conductors of electricity needed for the supply of current to the lamp.

The rocker-shaft carries at its end opposite to that at which the segment-gear is mounted, a cam 17 of fibre or other non-conducting material which has embedded in its outer face a contact-plate 18 which controls the circuits of the electric operating system, and a contact-plate 19 included in the circuit of the incandescent lamp carried by the semaphore.

. The brushes orycontacts which cooperate with the contact plates on the cam during its oscillating motion with the shaft are mounted upon a support of insulating material composed of: two relatively adjustable blocks 20 and 21.

The lower block, 20, of the support is rigidly fastened upon the base of the housing between two angle pieces 22 and has two upwardly projecting threaded posts 23 for the adjustable support of the upper block.

The last-mentioned block has to this end two bores through which the posts loosely extend and the posts are equipped with a pair of nuts 24; upon which the block rests and. a second pair of nuts 25 which engage the upper edge of the block to hold it against upward displacement.

The upper block of the support. carries two contacts 26 and 27 which when the cam is in its central position of rest engage two upwardly extending pointed branches 28 of and 4: of the drawings.

The lcnveizgblockcl the support.carries a contact 29 \\'hicl1 engages thG l, OVQ(-BLT OL tail- 2 end 30 ot' the contact-plate 18 which entends I in an arc concentric with theaxisof rotation of the cam, and a contact 31 which engages the contact-plate l9wwhich. likewise lies in an arc concentric with the axis of the shaft.

The conductors of electricity 32 which exv ,tend through the hollow rod 16 in connection ,with; the terminals ot the; lamp: 15. are-fasztenechto binding P98133113?) ,on the lOWer ends ot; the two contact-plates.

A bolt 34 extendingthrough a transverse bore of the lower block serves to-,=siipp oi't a contact-finger 35 which extends upwardly between two stopsfio and 37,- n the cam '17.

The stop 36 is insulated, from gthe inlaid C tmu t s et e cemi and nth r t-oi 20 37 is in electrical. connection with the con- & tact-plate-IS.

T h .la nen ieee step am the fing 35 are, provided with ,platinunr contactpieces, 38, and ,the: finger, 35 which ,is mount- 25 ed to move upon the b olt iit is held against undue displ acementrbetween, two washers.

39 and 40 .which by; frictional engagement with its opposite sides maintain it ,in its adjusted positions.

' l he fingeris preferably, split. longitudinally to permitpf an accurate, adjustmenti oi the distances between its opposite edges 4 and the stgnas fiti and 37, when in, a medial. position by either separatingflits, parts by tl 1e i 1 1sertipn of ahtool in the slit vbetween them.or-by closingj them together with the aid, of pliers or other "suitable implement.

[The eleetri cal deyices whichi control the: o me t 9 .th semaphe e and i i mm are controlled by the, moy ernent thereof, are

contained in a wateranddust-proot casingv v 4L1, of suit able, construction mounted, upon the ,base 3, wi thin ,tl1e housing and haying exterior binding postsby which the devices are connected in the circuits of the system.

The electrical devices above referred to consist of two relay coils 42 and 48 one of which controlsthe position of threepivoted'fingers 14, a5 and ltv with relation; to contacts between a which they extend and the ot r nwi whi h .cen r th PQ o Of one pivoted finger at? with relationlto I a sing e c l e t 4 "The finger- 44 of the first-mentioned relav moves between two co-ntactsetk andSOQ the 'finger tai between two contacts Sel a-11d 52, and 'the fingerQiG between two contacts 5! a d,

Inasmuch as'tl-ie construction and manner ofmounting the fingers and their contacts are immaterial intheopratirin of the electric system of-which--they are a part they {have en indicated in thedrawiugs only byl -th i eoiwent ionalif symb ols used in the diag' em e r r eete ien fiot ei e which the instrument is connected in the the signaling: system to control the power tact 29 l; the conductor lif the ("Dill/2113i) l (itthe 1-e la d2, the fing'er 45 olfthesamc the conductor (56, the coil ot therelay 4:3 and the conthe system areinterconnected will he traced.

with reference to-the numerals used in Figuure vof the drawings in which the source of electricity has been designated by the ,reterence numeral 55 and the armature and field of the motor respectively by the reteronce nunie 'als56 and 57.

T he numeral 58 ndicates a SWItClI in the power circuit i vhich.,un der normal conditionsis in anopen position iand the numeralsw7 9andGOdesignate the terminals at power circuit i The switch or circuit breaker 53S isot a typeiwhichis automatical y operatedhy the JQJOVGlllEDt of apassing tram toteinporarily close the, feed or power circuit the con- ;di ctorsof which are designated by therefcircuit either by handwor through the instrumentality of a mechanical operating appliance.

WVhen the ,instrun'ient is in, av condition of rest ,its semaphore, hangs p erp endicnlarly, ithecontacts 2G and 27. are engagged hy the branches 28 of the crmtact-plate lththc tailpiece,of whichv is in constant Blififlgg'tlHOHt "with the contact 29. as" shown in Figure -i:

of the; drawings. .1 00

The finger 35 is under the samoccmditionsweither engaged orsep arated, from the conductive stop 37 and the contact 31 is in constant engagement with the contactplate 19 which-.tlloses the ,circnitof the lamp on ,tlie sem aphore as will hereinafter, be more tullyidescribed.

The .rel ays and 43 are deenergized and the consequent nactive position0t the armatures holds the finge'rsfiet, 45 and ,tGct v the coil d2i respectively in, engagement; with the contacts 49; 51 and and the finger 47 the ooil t inseparated relation to the ontact 48.

hen the power circuit is closed by actuation of theswitch 58, the, rel v ,43

energized by a flow of currentwhich tollo 1 the path indicated by thehear r solid lines in Figure at of the d Wwings.

This relay circuit includes commencing: at the terminal 61), theconductor lj l the conhe contact-plate B the contact 26,

been shown iii light broken lines; by the engagement of finger 47 with the contact The motor circuit in its closed position comprises the following conductors of electricity:

. Commencing at terminal 59, a portion of the conductor 67 of the relay circuit, the conductor 68, the finger 47 of the relay 43, the contact 48 which-is engaged thereby, the conductor69. which terminates in the contact 54 of the relay 42, the wire'70 which connects this contact with the contact 49 of the same relay, which is normally engaged by the finger 44, the conductor 71 which connects with the last-mentioned finger, the armature 5610f the motor. the conductor 72 which connects with the finger 46 of the re lay 42, which normally engages the contact 53, the conductor 73 which connects with this contact, the field 57 of the motor and the conductor 74 which connects with the other terminal 60.

The finger 35 of the automatic circuit con trolling element of thesign'aling instrument in cooperation with the stop 37 which is in electric connection with the contact-plate 18, provides an auxiliary switch which controls the current flow through the relay 42 which in the operation of the system serves to reverse the direction of the current-flow through the motor and thereby reverses the directionof rotation of its rotary element which is in driving connection with the rocker-shaft 8 of the semaphore.

Presumingthat the finger 35 is separated from the contact 37 the closing of the motorcircuit through the relay 43 produces a counter-clockwise rotation of the rotary element of the motor, with the result that the rocker-shaft from which the semaphore is suspended rotates in the opposite direction as indicated by the arrow at in Figures 4, 5, and e.

The motor continues its driving action upon the rocker-shaft until by movement of the cam of the automatic switch, its contact-plate 18 is separated from the contact 26 as shown in Figure 6, when the circuit of the relay 43 is broken and the relay is in consequence deenergized:

The deenergization of the relay breaks the motor-circuit by the separation of its finger 47 from the contact 48 and the rotary movement of the rocker-shaft incited by the op eration of the motor, is now continued by the momentum of the semaphore only. Upon the conclusion of its swing, the semaphore causes the rocker-shaft to reverse its move ment by gravitation, with the result that the conductive stop 37 on the contact-plate 18 moves into engagement with the finger 35 and closes the circuit of the relay 42.

This circuit which in the drawings is shown in a heavy broken line includes C0111- mencing at the terminal 60, the conductor 63, the contact 29, the plate 18, the contact 37, the finger 35, the conductor 75, the coil 42, the conductor 76, the conductor 67 and the opposite terminal 59.

The energization of the relay-coil 42 causes its fingers to reverse their position with relation to the contacts between which they extend so that the finger 46 engages the contact 54 and thereby establishes a connection between the before-mentioned conductors 69 and of the motor-circuit, and

the finger 45 is separated from the contact 51'and thereby breaks the circuit of the re lay 43 at that point and at the same time engages the contact 52 to connect the contact 27 of the automatic switch in the motor engagement with the contact 50 a path for current between the conductors 71 and 73 of the motor-circuit through the medium of a'conductor 78 which connects the contact 50 with the contact 53.

When by the return movement of the cam, the'contact-plate 18 is brought in en gagement with the contact 27, the relay coil 43 is reenergized by a flow of current along the following path. Commencing at the terminal 60 the conductor 63 which is common to both relay circuits, the contact 29, the

contact-plate 18, the contact 27, the conductor 77, the contact 52and'the finger 45 ot the relay 42, the conductor 66, the coil of the relay 43 and the conductor '67 which connects with the other terminal 59.

Both relays are now energized and the flow of current through the field of the mo tor is reversed as follows: Beginning at the terminal 59, a portion of the conductor 67 of the circuit of the relay 43, the conductor 68 of the motor circuit, the finger 47 of the relay 43, the contact 48, the conductor 69 of the motor-circuit connecting with the contact 54 of the relay 42, the finger 46 which engages the last-mentioned contact, the con I ductor 72, the armature 56 of the motor, the conductor 71, the finger 44 of the relay 42, the contact 50, the conductor 78 which con nects the last-mentioned contact with the contact 53, the conductor 73, the field 57 of the motor and the conductor 74 which connects with the terminal 60. i

The consequent rotation of the moving element of the motor in clockwise direction causes the rocker-shaft to turn likewise in the opposite direction, as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, and the shaft is thus impelled until the contact-plate 18 disengages the contact 27 as shown in Figure 8, when the motor circuit is broken and the rockenshatt v continues its movement,bythe-inertia of the semaphore.

After the semaphore has completed its swing, it returns toits position, of equilib restored to'their normal condition.

-As soon as the contact-plate 18 engages the contact 26, the operation is repeated and i; a constant uniform osclllatory movement of a the semaphore isthus produced by intermittently reversing the current flow through the field of the motor, as long: asthe circuitbreaker 58 remains in the closed condition. ,.of-the',me1nber to periodically open the firstv I the circuit-breaker is actuated to close the :It will be understood that if at the time power circuit, the finger 35 oftheauxiliary switch engagesythe conductive stop 37, both relays are energized and the motor beginsits impellent movement by clockwise, rotation of its rotary element.

The contact 31 which isinqconstant engagement with the contact-plate 19 of the cam 17 is connectedwith the terminal 59- by aconductor 79, and inasmuchasthe lamp on the semaphore. is connected with the binding 1 posts of the two contact-plates by the.con

ductors 32 passingthrough the hollow rod,-

current is continuouslysupplied tothe lamp when the signal is in operation, along the following path:

Commencing at the terminal 60, the conductor 63, the contact 29, which is in constant engagement with the contact plate 18, one of the conductors 32,-the' filament. of the lamp, the other conductor-32, the contactplate 19, the contactv31 and the conductor ,i Aaeea 79 which. connectsewithuthe opposite teriminal 59.

wM hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

member an electric motor; in driving connection. therewith, a circuit, a relay-switch connectedgtherein, a circuit for the motor controlled by the switch and including twoiseleetive paths for current, asecond relayswitch .controlling'the currentflfiow along ,said paths to reverse zthe directionof the current-through themotor-eircuit, a circuit :for; the, -sec 0nd irelayeswitch, and circuitbreaking-means operated by ;the movement mentionedcircuit and to close and open'the circuit of: the secondrelay switch, alternately during thenperiods of. inactivity ofthemotor. 2. 1:0 arsign'aling-system, an oscillating member, an electric motor in driving con- 1 .nection therewith, a circuit, a,relay switch cODHGGtGd therein, aqcircuit :for the motor controlled by the-switch,- and including two selective paths for current, a-vsecond relayswitch controlling the current-flow along said paths to reverseithe directionofthe current through the motor-circuit, a circuit for the, second relay-switch, a main switch s operated bythe movement of the: memberto periodically, open the first mentionedcircuit, and an auxiliaryswitch 1 subordinate to the main switch,,t0\,o,pen and close the circuit of the second relay-switch alternately during pQliOds, of inactivity: of the motor.

Iii-testimony whereofi I haveiafiiXed my signature. v

' -WILL CuNEAI-IR.

1. In, a, signaling-system, .an oscillating- 

